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Whatever the season, whatever the occasion, these are my 10 rules of gift giving:

1. Never give money, in whatever shape or form. Giving money basically sends out the message: „I couldn’t be bothered to think too much about you, so here you go, please yourself, that’s what you’re worth to me.“

2. The monetary value of the gift is unimportant. One of my friends once gave me her recipe for one of my favourite dishes, writing it out in calligraphy on parchment paper, together with an offer to cook it with me. Total monetary value about zero, and yet one of the most charming and thoughtful gifts that I have ever received.

3. It’s not the gift, but the thought that counts, so think about your gift carefully. In general, give something you know the person wants, maybe something that has come up in conversation or something that you have seen the person eyeing or browsing—something that the person wants but would never buy for him- or herself. There are many extra marks to be gained for fun and originality, for instance, the bright yellow fountain pen or the joint massage class.

4. On the whole, prefer experiences to objects. Experiences such as a one-hour Swedish massage or concert tickets are generally more memorable than objects. But don’t forget that some objects, such as books, DVDs, and bottles of wine, can also be experiences—so long as they are well chosen.

5. If the person is pressed for time, give something that doesn’t take up much time, or, better still, something that fills up dead time. One of my friends gave me A History of the World in 100 Objects on audio CDs. This meant that I could listen to it while driving to appointments; instead of a waste of time, driving became my story time.

6. If at all possible, wrap the gift. There is great pleasure to be had, both for the receiver and the giver, in the ceremony of slowly unwrapping a gift. Even if the gift is the kind of thing that fits into an envelope, wrap the envelope. Choose the envelope and the wrapping paper very carefully and give it all a feel of personalized luxury. For example, use wrapping paper with butterflies for a nature lover, or with vintage cars for a car lover. All this shows that you took a great deal of time and care over the gift, and value the act of giving as well as the gift itself.

7. Include a thoughtful message with the gift, either on a card or in a letter. Don’t just buy one of those cards with a generic message, but write the message yourself. Use your message to bring to mind shared moments or strong ties, or maybe just to explain your gift or say thank you. In verse form is best, if you are up to that particular challenge! The message should be presented and read before opening the gift.

8. Give something that you yourself can share in, like theatre tickets, a holiday, or a book that you have already read or are planning to read. This shows that you want to share and interact with the person, and also gives you an excuse to treat yourself!

9. Timing is key. Make sure that you are both happy and relaxed, and that there is plenty of time to slowly unwrap and revel in the gift. For example, after a nice meal is generally a very good time.

10. If the gift can come as a surprise, all the better. If not, you can still make it a bit of a surprise by double wrapping it or, better still, giving two gifts, the first being a sort of decoy.

In the words of Voltaire,

God gave us the gift of life; it is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well.

by Neel Burton, M.D.

Whatever the season, whatever the occasion, these are my 10 rules of gift giving:

1. Never give money, in whatever shape or form. Giving money basically sends out the message: „I couldn’t be bothered to think too much about you, so here you go, please yourself, that’s what you’re worth to me.“

2. The monetary value of the gift is unimportant. One of my friends once gave me her recipe for one of my favourite dishes, writing it out in calligraphy on parchment paper, together with an offer to cook it with me. Total monetary value about zero, and yet one of the most charming and thoughtful gifts that I have ever received.

3. It’s not the gift, but the thought that counts, so think about your gift carefully. In general, give something you know the person wants, maybe something that has come up in conversation or something that you have seen the person eyeing or browsing—something that the person wants but would never buy for him- or herself. There are many extra marks to be gained for fun and originality, for instance, the bright yellow fountain pen or the joint massage class.

4. On the whole, prefer experiences to objects. Experiences such as a one-hour Swedish massage or concert tickets are generally more memorable than objects. But don’t forget that some objects, such as books, DVDs, and bottles of wine, can also be experiences—so long as they are well chosen.

5. If the person is pressed for time, give something that doesn’t take up much time, or, better still, something that fills up dead time. One of my friends gave me A History of the World in 100 Objects on audio CDs. This meant that I could listen to it while driving to appointments; instead of a waste of time, driving became my story time.

6. If at all possible, wrap the gift. There is great pleasure to be had, both for the receiver and the giver, in the ceremony of slowly unwrapping a gift. Even if the gift is the kind of thing that fits into an envelope, wrap the envelope. Choose the envelope and the wrapping paper very carefully and give it all a feel of personalized luxury. For example, use wrapping paper with butterflies for a nature lover, or with vintage cars for a car lover. All this shows that you took a great deal of time and care over the gift, and value the act of giving as well as the gift itself.

7. Include a thoughtful message with the gift, either on a card or in a letter. Don’t just buy one of those cards with a generic message, but write the message yourself. Use your message to bring to mind shared moments or strong ties, or maybe just to explain your gift or say thank you. In verse form is best, if you are up to that particular challenge! The message should be presented and read before opening the gift.

8. Give something that you yourself can share in, like theatre tickets, a holiday, or a book that you have already read or are planning to read. This shows that you want to share and interact with the person, and also gives you an excuse to treat yourself!

9. Timing is key. Make sure that you are both happy and relaxed, and that there is plenty of time to slowly unwrap and revel in the gift. For example, after a nice meal is generally a very good time.

10. If the gift can come as a surprise, all the better. If not, you can still make it a bit of a surprise by double wrapping it or, better still, giving two gifts, the first being a sort of decoy.

In the words of Voltaire,

God gave us the gift of life; it is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well.